46 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. SECTION C. 



gation whose influence upon industry is incalculable. An- 

 important part of the work of a National Botanic Garden would' 

 be the organisation and carrying on of investigations of this 

 character, primarily of course with' a view to South African 

 requirements. In so doing, however, it would discharge a 

 wider obligation, for it would bring South Africa into line with 

 the rest of the civilised world. 



The' introduction and , acclimatisation of useful and orna- 

 mental exotics was recognised as an important function of a 

 Botanic garden when the Cape Town Gardens were established. 

 A good deal has been done in this direction, but still more 

 remains to be accomplished. The introduction of foreign 

 plants into this country has been of a somewhat haphazard 

 character, and much enthusiasm and expense which might have 

 produced beneficial results, have been largely wasted. Many 

 valuable exotics have come into the country, but no one knows 

 what they are nor where they are, and there is not at present 

 in South Africa a single organisation properly equipped for 

 obtaining and furnishing the needful information concerning 

 them, for submitting them to experiment to determine their 

 local value, nor for maintaining a general oversight and direction 

 of enterprise of this nature. It is hardly necessary to say that 

 there is a risk in introducing a new plant from another region. 

 It may prove itself to be a good servant, but there is always 

 a possibility that, if it is not very carefully looked after, it may 

 become a bad master. South Africa has had many opportuni- 

 ties of learning this. In order to eliminate dangers of this 

 kind, and to ensure that the introduction of now plants is 

 carried out with judgment and economy, and that suitable- 

 steps are taken to ascertain and to realise the economic value 

 of the introduced plants under South African conditions, a 

 national scientific institution commanding the confidence of the 

 agricultural community is required. 



It has been stated on a former page that the grazing industry 

 presents for solution many problems which would receive atten- 

 tion from the staff of a Botanic Garden. Space does not allow 

 me to deal with these in detail, but I must lay stress upon one- 

 of them — a problem of the greatest importance to the future 

 welfare of this great industry, and through it to the whole 

 community. I refer to what is usually known as the " de- 

 terioration of the veld." That the feeding value of the vege- 

 tation in those parts of South Africa which have been long 

 settled is decreasing is a general belief. It is not difiicult to 

 convince oneself that for certain areas at least this belief is 

 well-founded. It is not too much to say that this is a question 

 of the utmost gravity. Slight changes proceeding" unheeded' 

 for long periods may produce results which would seem to be- 

 altogether incommensurate with the magnitude of the changes 

 themselves. While it might be a comparatively simple matter 

 to arrest the downward progress if proper remedial measures 

 were applied in time, a stage is reached sooner or later when 

 Science is powerless. There can be little doubt that many good' 

 grazing grounds have been unconsciously allowed to lapse- 



